Tabulator



A. F. TURNER TABULATOR Filed May 25, 1945 5 Sheets- Sheet 2 FIGS FIG 4INVENTOR ALBERT F. TURNER BY j/ 4 LA? ATTORNE Y oct-.30, 1945.

A. F. TURNER TABULATOR Filed May 25, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 mvENroRALBERT R TURNER BY. ATTORNEY Oct. 30, 1945. A. F. TURNER 2,387,863

' l TABULATOR Filedmay 25, 1945 54 shets-sheet 4 FIG. 7

mvENToR ALBERT TURNER 5 map24/fm1.;

ATTORNEY A. F. TURNER TABULATOR Filed May 25, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 mw'Il NVENTOR ALBERT F TURNER By j/ ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 30, 1945TABULATOR Albert F. Turner, Herkimer, N. Y., assignor to Remington RandInc., Buialo, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application May 25, 1943,Serial No. 488,404

21 Claims.

This invention relates to stacking devices, and in particular to cardstacking as carried out in card controlled business machines.

While the invention, for the purpose of illustration, is shown in itsrelation to certain parts of card controlled business machines, it isunderstood that it may be applied wherever it is desired to stack plainor perforated cards, or sheets of any size, in alignment. In a cardcontrolled tabulating machine of the type disclosed in the U. S. patentto William W. Lasker, Jr., Executor, and John Mueller, No. 2,323,816(Figs. 1, 3, and 18), the U. S. patent to Lasker, 2,044,119, and cardpunching machines as shown in U. S. patents to Lasker, No. 2,044,707,and Mixer, No. 2,214,029 (Figs. 4, 6, and 36), the cards are fed from amagazine through the machine into a storage hopper. Even though thehopper may be approximately the size of the cards, the latter, as theyfall into said hopper, tend to settle with their edges out of alignment,and it is usually necessary to rap the edges of the stack on a flatsurface to bring the cards into alignment preparatory to further use.Cards in a stack, even though the pile be small, cling closely to eachother and, as the stack is held in the hands and rapped on a flatsurface, the frictional resistance of the cards that protrude from thestack, causes the edges of said cards to become broken down andthickened as they are being forcedinto alignment with the cards of thestack.

In a card controlled business machine, the cards usually pass through arestricted throat opening in leaving the card chamber and, as shown inFig. 1 of Patent No. 2,044,119 to Lasker, are required to pass throughclosely spaced guide plates and analyzing means. Any abnormallythickened leading edges of the cards, occasioned by rapping the stack toalign said edges, will cause the cards to jam or fail to pass throughthe throat of the machine, which throat is set to admit but one card ata time.

As the cards are handled, they accumulate static electricity which,combined with a natural tendency to adhere to each other, retards theirquick individual selection in machine operations. In the presentinvention the stacking and aligning means is directed to theaccumulation of the cards in a pile or stack, with a minimum offricltion between the cards.

An object of the invention is to provide a stacking device which willstack or align the cards evenly as they fall into the card hopper.

Another object is to provide, in the stacking device, card tapping meanswhich will strike the edge of the card witha snap or accelerated actionblow to align it with the previously received cards,

and at the same time dissipate some of the staticV electricityaccumulated in the cards.

Further objects are the provision of means for striking the cards analigning blow that will not damage or thicken the edges of the cards;shaping the card retainer to allow the back edges of the cards to droprst, to prevent them from causing static creating friction;automatically pushing the cards against the ends and back walls of thecard hopper during reception to stack and align them; and to provide adevice for stacking and static dissipation which is positive and simplein operation.

A more clear conception of the operation, construction, and furtherobjects of the invention may be had from the following specification,when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1is a View in rear elevation of a portion of a tabulator showing the cardstacker;

Fig. 2 is a view in cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1showing the relative arrangement of the parts of the stacker;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan View of operating mechanism employed in theform of invention shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View showing the snap action of the cardaligning strip;

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of a form of card stacker as usedwith a card -punching machine;

Fig. 7 is a View in elevation looking toward the right-hand side of Fig.6;

Fig. 8 is a top plan View of the stacker shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and

Fig. 9 is a section in elevation taken onl the line 9-9 of Fig. 8. Y

In the application of the invention to card controlled business machinesof the character shown in the patent application and patents referredto, the cards are fed, one at a time, from a magazine by a cam operatedpicker knife to feed rolls which pass each card into a card chamber inwhich it is momentarily detained for punching or sensing.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive,cards pass through feed rolls i6 in transit from the card chamberreferred to, for deposit in a storage hopper -20 having walls 2 l, 24,and 34, the hopper being secured between side members 22 of the machinebyccnnecting plates 23. Y i

The hopper or card holder and its associated stacker mechanism is shownin relation to frame plates 28, which constitute the sides of the carddetention chamber referred to, and through which passes a rock shaft 25.While this particular shaft 25, which performs other functions in themachine, is used to actuate the present invention, it is obvious thatany shaft operating in like manner may beremployed. v

Secured to shaft is an arm 26 having a foot 21 formed at right anglesthereto. Pivotally mounted on a tab 29 of one of the side frames 28 is abell-crank 30 having a stud or roller 3| in the end of a horizontallydisposed arm thereof with which the foot 21 of said arm 26 cooperates.The other arm of the bell-crank 30 is formed with a right angle ear 32to which is secured the upper end of a depending resilient metal memberor card striking and aligning strip or blade 33. The' strip 33 in itscard aligning position is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and is formedto provide a lower biased portion 42 and end section 43, the latter ofwhich is adjustably secured to the side wall 34 of the storage hopper2l) by a screw and slot fastening combination 44. Stiifener plates 35are provided on opposite sides of the upper end of strip 33 where it issecured to bell-crank 30, in order to prevent fracture of the metalstrip due to flexing. The biased lower portion 42 of strip 33 provides aflexible floating action produced by adjustment of the end section 43 topresent a slight bow in strip 33 as indicated in Fig. 1.

Each time shaft 25 is oscillated, bell-crank 3|) swings to position thealigning strip 33 as shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 1. The strip33, at a point in its movement from bowed full line position snaps tostraight vertical position and strikes the edge of the uppermost or lastcard C which has fallen into the card hopper 2D. Rocking motion of theshaft 25 is transmitted to Abellcrank 30 in this instance by acheck-lever 46 which is pivoted to the bell-crank and carries a pin 45engaging foot 21 at the opposite side'from pin 3|. The check-lever andthe horizontal arm of the bell-crank are 'connected by a coil spring 41(Fig. 1) suitably tensioned, so that said level and arm are preventedfrom jumping With respect to foot 21 when strip 33 snaps in its movementfrom straight to bowed position andvice 'versa (Fig. 5). The tension ofthe spring 41 is'such that the horizontalarm of bell-.crank 30 andcheck-lever 46 acts substantially in unison 4in iiexing the strip 33.When foot 21 acts downwardly on the check-lever, bell-crank 30 isactuated through spring 41which also provides a cushioning effect forthe sudden stopping of the strip 33 at the extremes of its snapmovement. The adjustment afforded by theY fastening means 44 permits thetension of the bow of spring'strip 33 to be varied as desired, so thatthe timing of the snap action and the force of the blow can beregulated. This insures a positive operation of strip 33, the action of4which vertically aligns the edges of cards at one side of the stackagainst the upright stop plate 36 secured to a table 31 on which thecards fall.,V This table is free to move up and down and, as the weightof the pile of cards increases, a spring 38 yields to allow table 31 todescend and accommodate more cards in thel hopper.V A suitable openingisv provided in table' 31 for the strip 33.

In the cycle of operation of the machine, of which the shaft 25 forms apart, Fig. 1 ofthe drawings shows the parts in the: position they wouldoccupy during the major portion'of'an operating cycle of the machine.The shaft 25 is given a rocking movement in one direction just near theclose of each operating cycle and if at this time, the machine comes torest, which it would normally do, if stopped the strip 33 would be inthe dotted line position of Fig. 1, thus holding all the cards inalignment until the machine is again started.

The stacking of 'the cards should be such that. at all four sides of thepile, the edges of the cards are in vertical alignment. This willobviate any necessity for manual aligning, a manipulation which mightdamage any edges of the cards. To this end additional means are providedwhich will vertically align the edges ofthe cards at the sides oppositethe sides aligned by the cooperative action ofthe aligning strip 33 andstop plate 36. 'Ihis additional means, therefore, will coact with thestrip and plate mechanism described to align the four side edges of eachcard, as it comes into the hopper, with the four side edgesof the cardspreceding it in the stacking operation.

This coacting mechanism includes a bail 40, pivotally mounted on.opposite side frames 28 for free swinging movement when a flexibledeflector 39, carried by said bail, is engaged by the leading edge of acard coming into the hopper 20 fromvfeed rolls I6. The deflector 39 isof light spring metal and is disposed between bail carried tap blades orarms 4| which, when the bail 40 swings under the influence of deector39, are actuated so that their depending lower ends strike the edge of acard as it settles on top of the stack and forces the card against theWall 2| of the hopper, thus aligning it with preceding cards. Thedeflector 39 also slows the movement of the cards. The dimensions ofplate 31; which, with springs 38, constitute a yieldable card support,are slightly less than the dimensions of the cards, so that the latterwill be pushed against the wall 2| and plate 36.0f the hopper by arms 4|and strip 33, respectively. The arms 4| may be manually operated at anytime and particularly when the card stack is to be removed from thehopper 20.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 6

' suitable bearing 5| for supporting shaft 50 is Y nection 6,9.Accidental iinterference with the yoke mounted on a punch frame 52 whichsupports a punch housing 53, from which punched cards are transferred byfeed rolls 54 to an open rectangular card hopper 55 mounted on saidframe 52. The hopper `consists of a bottom 51 and walls 56, 58, and 59(Fig. 9) the latter of which constitutes a stop plate. The wall 5Esupports spaced card aligning rails 60. The bottom has secured vto, theunderside thereof` bearing blocks 6|, `which are attached to studs 32extending from the frame of the machine to support the hopper `5,5. Thebottom also carries near its ends, inverted U-shaped members 63'whosependants 64 supportspindles 65 upon which are pivoted yoke levers 66.I'he yokelevers 66 are formed in a U at one end to provide bearingportions 61, whichcooperate with spindles 65 and t closely within thependants 64 to give rigidity to the arms 68 of said levers, which armsoverlap at their ends beneath the middle of thehopper and are pivotallyjoined by a pin and slot connection 69. Operationf of `one yoke leveractuates the other onein unison through con-- levers is prevented by' anapron '10 extending Ylongitudinally beneath the hopper and attachedthereto by ears 1l. The bearing portions 61 of the yoke levers havesecured thereto, in any suitable manner, vertically extending cardsupports 12 and 13 disposed exteriorly of the hopper, and eachpresenting a card support or finger 14 extending horizontally into thehopper through a slot 15 in each end wall 58 and 59. The shelves 14constitute retractile `lingers underlying the edges of card C, as shownin outline in Fig. 8, to temporarily retain the card in the upper partof the hopper. The supports are so shaped that, when they are retracted,they will allow the back edge of thecard to drop first, and to this endsaid supports are each cut away at an angle to provide a bias 16. As thecards are dropped olf the shelves and settle on the stack in the hopper,

they are pushed against the side 59 of the hopper by a flexible verticalaligning strip or blade 11 (Fig. 9), secured to and depending from theupper portion of one support 12. The strip 11 extends into the hopperand below the bottom thereof and operates in an opening 18 extendingfrom slot in wall 58 and bottom 51. The card ex-l tends slightly beyondthe edge of bottom 51 and opening 18.

The arms 68 of the yoke levers 66 carry roller brackets 19, whose camrollers 80 operate on cam plates 8| depending from card aligning blades82 hinged, as at 83, on the edges of Walls 58 and 59 of the hopper andconstitutes flap closures at one side thereof. Each blade is bent toform a vertical, inwardly extending, card engaging bead 84. The beadgives the blade a smooth spot contact with the cards.

The card aligning action of the strip 11 and blades 82 takes place asthe yoke leversy 86 are mutually rocked on their spindles 65 by cam 85fast on drive shaft 58. Motion from the cam is transmitted to abell-crank lever 86 through the cam link parts 81 and 88, which areadjustably joined by the screw and slot connections 89. Member 81 of thelink is forked to t over shaft 50 and is laminated to provide a Widebearing 98 for the shaft engaging end of the link, so that the latterwill not twist under force applied by cam 85 to a roller 9.I on saidmember 81. The finger lever 86 is pivotally mounted in a frame supportedbracket 92 and carries at its free end a button 93 and a pin or roll 94bearing on and operating a U-shaped arm 95 secured to the left-hand yokelever 66. Lever 86 is automatically operated by the cam actuated link,but may be manually operated at will by pressure on button 93.

As cards enter the hopper 55, they fall upon and are supported byfingers 14 of card supports 12 and 13 (Fig. 9). When cam 85 causesdownward movement of roll 94, said supports are swung outwardly withrespect to the hopper to retract the lingers by mutual movement of theyoke levers 66. The biased portions 16 of the shelves cause the backedges of the cards to drop first, thereby reducing friction and floatingaction. As the supports beginl retractile movement, the aligning strip11 is moved away from the card stack and the rolls 80, acting on camplates 8|, swing the aligning flaps or blades 82 ajar. When the cam 85allows spring 96 to raise arm 95, the strip 11 and the blades 82 operatein unison to strike the end and side edges of the cards to push saidcards against the wall 59 and rails 68, respectively, thus verticallyaligning the edges of the cards at the four sides of the stack. Eachsucceeding operation of the strip 11 and blades 82 maintains the cardsof the stack in alignment, and .due to the tapping action, the charge ofstatic electricity accumulated by the cards through friction andhandling appears to be suppressed.

In order to facilitate removal of the card stack from the hopper, thelbottom V51 thereof has' an edge recess 91 which permits the stack to begripped by the fingers ofV one hand and drawn from the hopper, whilelinger pressure on button 93 holds the flaps or blades 82 open. Thus,the stack can be removed from the machine. without displacing the cards.When the shaft 58 is in its normal stop position, the strip 11 andblades 82 engage the stack to maintain alignment;r of the cards.

From the above it is obvious that, as the cards are fed to the hopper,the edges thereof are individually aligned vertically with the stack,and when the machine is at normal stop position the cards are held instacked alignment. It has also been found that cards stacked in thismanner are free, more or less, from static. It is the belief ofapplicant that the forcible blow or tap given the cards by the aligningmembers suppresses or dissipates the static gathered by the cards inpassage through the machine.

While a card supporting plate is described, beyond the edge of which thecard extends, it ls evident that the holder could take the form of awire or latticed frame in which instance the edges of the frame or cardsupporting table could be provided with suitable openings as 18 (Fig. 9)across which passes an edge of the card, whereby the card can be engagedby the striking member before the latter touches the edge of saidsupport. The abutting member may be carried by the table or may be awall of the holder or the posts of an open frame, if such latter isemployed.

While the invention is shown in use on specic business machines, it maybe used on any type of machine from which are fed for stacking,individual flat or thin objectsfof any material such as sheet metal,paper or cardboard. It will be obvious to one skilled in the art thatthe above described mechanism is adaptable to many applications anduses, and that the present disclosure is given by way of example only,and does not limit the invention as defined other than by the scope ofthe appended claims.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A card stacking device comprising a vholder including a cardsupporting table beyond an edge of which cards extend, a card engagingmember, means for moving an end of said member sidewise for causing saidmember to flex and strike the projecting edges of the cards a sharp,tapping blow for reducing static electricity accumulated in said cards,and abutting means against which the cards are pushed by the member tovertically align the edges of said cards.

2. The combination with a card handling machine including an operatingshaft and card ejecting means, of a holder for ejected cards, a flexiblecard engaging member, adjustable means for varying the tension of themember, and means actuated by said shaft for alternately flexing themember to cause it to snap from bowed to card engaging position and viceversaV to vertically align the edges of said cards.

3. In a card -stacking device comprising a holder to which cards arefed, a flexible card engaging strip, means for mounting the strip'toprovide a bow longitudinally thereof, means for moving an end of thestrip laterally to cause said strip to'snap from bowed position to-cardstriking and aligning vposition and Vback to bowed position whereby theedges of the cards Aare vertically aligned as they stack in the holder.g 4. 'I'he combination with a machine employing cards inits operationincluding a drive shaft and card ejecting means, of a holderfor'receiving the cards, a card aligning member, means for mounting themember to ilexibly bow the same, means actuated by the shaft forreciprocating anend v of the member sidewise to cause said member vtoautomatically snap from bowed to cardstriking position'andvice ve'rsa,and an abutment against which the cards are pushed bysaid membertovertically align the edges of said cards asfthey stack inthe holder. i Yf 5.A' card" stacking device comprising a 'card holder to which cardsare fed seriatim, said holder includinga platehaving an edge beyondwhich the cards extend, a rresilient card aligning strip adjacent theextending edges of said cards, means for flexing the strip to cause itto snap toward and away from the 'cards' to alternately strike saidedges thereof, and abutting means againstjwhich the cards are pushed bythe-aligning strip in its striking movement to Vvertically align theedges of'the cards.v i f 6. The combination with Ia machine employin'gcards in its operation including a drive shaft and card ejecting means,of a holderl for receiving the cards, lacard striking member, means forsecuring an end of said striking-member in iixed relation to the holder,pivot means to which the other end of said striking member is secured.,means on said shaft for operating the pivot means for flexing saidstrikingmeansto cause the latter to snap toward and away from thecardsin the holder, and an abutting member "in the holder against whichthe cards are pushed by contact of the striking member to verticallyalign the edges of the cards in stacked formation. Y

'7. The combination with a machine employing 'cards in its operationincluding a frame part, a drive shaft and card ejecting means, of a cardholder for receiving the ejectedcards, aV member pivoted on saidY part,a resilient-card striking strip;means forsecuring the-ends of said stripto the holder and the pivotedfmemberymeans for adjustably flexing thestrip to bow the same, an arm on the shaft for swinging said pivotedmember to snap the strip from card engaging to nonengaging position andlvice versa, and meansassociated with the pivoted member andvsaid armfor checking relative movement `therebetween during snapping action ofsaid strip.

8. The combination with amachine employing cards including an operatingshaft, of-a card receiving holder, lblades and a flexible strippivotallyvassociated with the holderv for engaging dilerent edges ofcards lodged' in said holder, means for swinging said blades and saidstrip to strike the cards, and abutting means in theholder against whichsaid cards are pushed bythe blades and said strip to vertically aligndifferent edges of the cards as they stack in said holder.

9. The combination-witha'machine employing cards including yan operatingshaft, of a cardreceiving holder, blades pivotally associated-with theholder for engaging an edgeof cards lodged in said holder said bladeshaving edge Abeads for spot contact with the cards,- means-operable bysaid shaft for swinging the blades to' strike the cards, and abuttingmeans against which-said cards are pushed bythe blades to verticallyalign the edges ofthe cards'as theystack in the lholder.

10. The combination with a machine employing cards includingan operatingshaft, of a ,card receiving holder, a blade pivotally .associated withthe holder for engaging an edge of cards lodged' in said holder, meansoperable by said shaft for swinging anend of the blade laterally to ilexthe same and cause it to automatically jump alternately against and awayfrom the` cards, said blade being in card engaging position when saidoperating shaft is normally at rest, and abutting means againstwhichfthe cards are pushed by the blade to vertically align the edges ofsaid cards as they stack in said holder.

11. A card stacking device comprising'a card holder, bladesmountedin'pivotal relation with the holder4 and constituting closure flaps atone side thereof, camming means associated with said blades for movingthe same pivotally to engage the edges of cards inthe holder, a cardstriking member for engaging the contiguous edges of the cards in theholder, means for actuating said camming means and said striking member,abutting means in the holder against which the cards are moved by thecoactive operation of the card engaging blades and said strikingmem-bengfor vertically aligning the edges of the cards in stackformation in the holderv and means for manually operating said bladesand card striking member independently of said actuating means.

12. A card stacking device comprising a card holder, blades pivoted atone side of the holder and constituting closure aps for tapping theedges of the cards as they are fed to the holder, levers pivotallyassociated with the holder, cooperating camming means on said levers andblades for actuating the latter, means for operating, said leversintermittently, abutting means in the hold# er against which the cardsare pushed by the blades to vertically align the edges ofthe cards, andmeans for manually operating said blades independently of said leveroperating means.'Y

143. A card stacking device comprising a` card holder, card supportsassociatedwith said holder and presenting shelves for receiving cardspreparatory to stacking, means for moving said supe ports to withdrawthe shelves from-card sustain-r ing position, means on said shelves `fordropping the cards edge rst as the support withdraws a' card engagingblade for striking the edges of theV cards dropped from the shelves,meansfor actuating said blade, and abutting means in the holder againstwhich the cards are -pushed by the blade to vertically align the edgesof the cards in stacked formation. l l

14. A card stacking `devicefcomprising a card holder, card supportingandstriking means pivotally associated withrsaid holder, means foractuating said supporting and striking means for dropping the card intothe holder'and tapping the edge thereof, means on said supporting meansfor dropping the card edge Viirst, and abutting means in the holderagainst which the cards `are pushed by said striking means to verticallyalign the edges of the cards in stacked formation.

15. A card stacking device comprising a cardv holder, card supportsassociated with the holder and presenting shelves for sustaining cardspreparatory to stacking, means for moving said supports to retract theshelves from card sustaining position, said shelves tapering in "widthto, drop the cards edge rst as'the shelves are retracted, card aligningmeans associated with the holder, and means for actuating 'said aligningmeansto engage the dropped cards to Avertically align`the edges thereofin stackedformation' in vthe holder.'

16. The combination with a machine employing cards including anoperating shaft, of a card holder to which cards are fed, cardsupporting means and card striking means pivotally associated with theholder, means coacting to operate the card supporting and striking meansin unison, shaft driven means for automatically actuating said coactingmeans, means for operating said coacting means independently of saidshaft driven means, said card support means being shaped to drop a cardedge first, and abutting means in the holder against which the cards arepushed b'y said striking means to vertically align the contiguous edgesof said cards as they drop to stacked position from said support means.

17. In a card stacking device, in combination, a holder to which cardsare fed, resilient card aligning means associated with the holder, andmeans for laterally flexing said aligning means to cause it toautomatically snap in opposite directions in card aligning operation.

18. In a card stacking device comprising a holder to which cards arefed, a flexible card aligning strip, means for mounting the strip tomaintain the same under longitudinally bowed tension, and means formoving an end of said strip laterally to cause the strip toautomatically snap toward and away from card engaging position in cardaligning operation.

19,'. In a card stacking device comprising a holder to which cards arefed, a flexible card aligning strip, means for mounting the strip tomaintain the same under longitudinally bowed tension, means for movingan end of the strip laterally to cause it to automatically snap towardand away from card engaging position, and means for adjusting the bowedtension of said strip.

20. In a card stacking device, a supporting table beyond two edges ofwhich cards fed thereto project, fixed card abutting means disposed ateach of the two edges of the table opposite the edges beyond which thecards project, card tapping blades disposed at one projecting edge ofthe cards, a exible tapping strip disposed at the other projecting edgeof the cards, means for operating the blades and the strip to move thecards against said abutting means, and said blades being manuallyoperable to allow removal of the aligned cards from the supporting tableindependently of said strip and blade operating means.

21. A card stacking device comprising a holder including a cardsupporting table beyond an edge of which cards fed to the holderproject, card actuated means for striking one edge of the cards, anothermeans for striking another edge of the cards including a flexiblealigning member, means for exing said aligning member to cause it tojump against and away from said other edge of the cards, and abuttingmeans against which the cards are aligned by said striking means.

ALBERT F. TURNER.

